The secret to a 20-year NBA career

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NBA’s famed list of players who have played for more than 20 seasons include names like Tim Duncan, Jamal Crawford, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parish, and now Udonis Haslem and LeBron James. To craft such a lengthy career requires several favourable conditions including talent, health, adaptability, and luck. While some players like Duncan were unable to maintain their top form, LeBron James’ 20 seasons have seen consistently good performances, which sets him apart from many of the other players on the list.

According to Willis, LeBron James has demonstrated excellence in both numbers and performance, by continuing to play his finest game, at an All-Star level, in his 20^th season. Willis was also inspired by Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s longevity, and dreamt of having a long career as well, and is grateful that he was viewed as a leader and a team-builder, both. After 10 seasons he was already playing to match the record of Abdul-Jabbar and Parish, which required strengthening exercises several times a day, and running. Overall, his career spanned from 1984 to 2007. He credits the care he took of his body, for a lack of injuries during his career, and his ability to take on dynamic forwards and guards well into his 19^th year. Other players who have had lengthy careers in other sports include Tom Brady, who is on his 23^rd NFL season, Gordie Howe, who played 26 NHL seasons and Nolan Ryan, who played 27 seasons in MLB.